The Therapist and the Favor
by Rochelle Templer
Summary: A request from a neighbor ends up being more than Sweets bargained for. Mostly fluff here.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Yes, a new project. I know that I have a lot of things still on hiatus, but considering the large amount of angst I am putting out there these days, I decided that I needed some fluff to balance it out. :) This is going to be a short one of only about two or three chapters so hopefully it will be finished in a week or two. This fic takes place during season seven, before the finale. Also, there will be some references to events from _Sweets' Final Thoughts_, the iPad companion that Fox puts out for Bones. Nothing too major though. :)

Also, I would like to thank my friend and loyal reader **Rex01** for giving me the idea for this fic. I hope you enjoy it, Rex. :)

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. Nor do I own the poem by William Blake.

Thank you to everyone who reads/follows/favorites/reviews this. It is always appreciated.

The Therapist and the Favor—Chapter One

_-Tyger! Tyger! burning bright/ In the forests of the night…_

"Please Doctor Sweets, my daughter can't take him, and it's just going to be a couple of days. There is no one else I can ask. Please, please take care of my Tyger."

Sweets leaned against the door frame at the entrance to his apartment. It was the weekend and the psychologist had been hanging around his place in a tee shirt and jeans playing video games when he had heard her knock at his door. His neighbor, Mrs. Ellen Barclay stood in front of him with a small kitten in her arms. Over the years he had lived in this apartment building, Sweets had become friendly with his elderly neighbor, occasionally stopping by her place for tea and cookies and sometimes helping out by doing some random chores that would have been difficult for her. She had always been cordial with him and had never actually asked for a favor in the past.

The grey and white stripped kitten in her hands mewed softly and curled up into a smaller ball. Sweets knew that she had gotten a cat about three months ago, but hadn't had the chance to see much of it. He had to admit that he enjoyed the prospect of getting the chance to spend some time with such a cute pet.

"All right, Mrs. Barclay," Sweets smiled, holding out his hands. "I would love to take care of him for you."

"Oh thank you….and please, you know that you can call me Ellen," Barclay said. "This whole thing is such a nuisance you know, having to spend two days at the hospital just so they can perform one little procedure. They are so overly cautious. Still, I really don't want to leave my Tyger alone. He loves being with people, you know."

The old woman cuddled the cat close to her one last time before handing him over to Sweets' waiting arms.

"Now, you be good Tyger, and I will be back to see you in a while," she cooed at him. "And thank you again for doing this, Lance. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't taken him."

"It's no problem," Sweets said as he held the squirming kitten. "I'll make sure to take good care of him."

"I know you will," Barclay said. "You are always such a good boy…just like my grandson, Nick. Anyway, I will see you in a couple of days. Good bye and thank you again."

Barclay tottered off down the hall, and Sweets watched her go back into her apartment before he stepped back inside and closed the door behind him. Tyger's squirming had become even more urgent, so Sweets set him down on the carpet and watched as the kitten ran off to explore his new surroundings.

'_I've never taken care of someone else's pet before,' _he thought to himself. As he watched the kitten dart about the floor, a sense of responsibility filled him. Ellen obviously trusted him a great deal to ask him for this kind of favor, and Sweets did not want to do anything to break that trust. That meant taking the best care that he possibly could of this tiny cat.

'_Wait…I don't have anything here for a cat,' _he realized. '_No food, no litter box…not even any toys.' _

Sweets bolted out of his apartment, careful to shut the door behind him so Tyger could not get out, and rushed over to Barclay's apartment door. Once he got there, however, he found a note attached to the door for the landlord, letting him know the situation. Sweets tried knocking on the door several times, but got no reply.

'_Is she already gone?' _he wondered. '_How was she able to leave so quickly?' _

Sweets pondered this for a moment more before shrugging his shoulders and walking back to his apartment. He figured that he was on his own at this point and would have to make his own arrangements.

He walked back in to find Tyger standing in the middle of his coffee table, his gold eyes wide and one of Sweets' collectible action figures clamped tightly between his paws.

"Mew?" Sweets slumped his shoulders and tried to take the figurine away, only to be met with swatting paws and nipping teeth as Tyger took his actions to mean that the psychologist wanted to play with him.

"Tyger…that is not a toy," Sweets admonished him. "I mean, I know that it looks like a toy, but it's not. I paid a lot at that one comic convention for that figure."

Sweets managed to extract the figurine from Tyger and ended up scooping up the cat into his arms. Once there, Sweets got a look at the small tag hanging from his collar.

"Tyger," he read on the tag. "Like that old poem from Blake…"

'_Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright…..'_

Sweets absentmindedly stroked the kitten's head as he recited the rest of the poem in his head. He had no idea that Mrs. Barclay was a fan of classic poetry and was regretting that he hadn't gotten to know her better than he already did, a situation he decided to remedy as soon as he could.

"Well for now, I need to get you some stuff so you can stay here," Sweets said as he looked down at the bundle of fur in his arms. "You think you can stay here by yourself and leave my things alone until I get back?"

Sweets then looked over at the action figure on the coffee table, and he was certain that he had his answer.

Much to his dismay.

* * *

"Good thing this place lets you take animals inside," Sweets said to himself as he carried Tyger into the pet store. The psychologist had used his laptop to compare nearby pet stores to see which one had the best selection of cat products and had discovered one that advertised itself as being "pet friendly" as well as having a comprehensive offering of cat supplies. After memorizing the address, Sweets took the cat with him to the car and drove over. Tyger spent the entire ride standing on his hind legs, staring out the window of the passenger's seat. Sweets chuckled at little at the scene, but then he began to think about the inherent dangers that the cat could face riding in the car.

'_What if I were to get into some kind of accident or something. Tyger could get hurt…I need to make sure to get something to ensure his safety in the car.'_

Sweets shook his head as he pulled out a cart and sat Tyger down in it. Originally, all he had thought about was some cat food, cat litter, and a couple of toys for this trip, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that there was so much more to taking care of a cat than that.

'_Ellen is depending on me to take care of him. I need to make sure that I have everything. What about bowls? Or scratching posts? Just what all do I need?'_

"Awww, how cute. Is he yours?"

Sweets looked up to see a young woman in a green uniform approaching him. The psychologist blushed and noticed that her name tag identified her as Susan.

"Um, no, I'm just taking care of him for a few days," he said. "Uh, Susan, right? I've never actually had a pet before, so I don't really have anything for him at my place. What all do I need?"

"Oh no problem," Susan beamed. "I can help you find everything that you'll need. Just follow me."

* * *

Almost three hours later, Sweets finally made it home with a cat carrier in one hand and a giant bag of supplies in the other. Susan had indeed been thorough in her talk with him and Sweets had learned more than he had thought possible about the different kinds of cat products out there.

'_Holistic, science-based, organic, breed-tailored…I had no idea that there were so many varieties of cat food out there. Or that there were so many cat furnishings and toys crafted to every aspect of a cat's behavior patterns.'_

Sweets had been fascinated at what he had learned and was eager to buy a variety of toys to enhance Tyger's playtime, but had drawn the line at buying furniture for him, even though the kitten clearly loved jumping onto the cat towers. By the time his shopping trip was finished, Sweets had started to believe that he had crossed the threshold from complete novice to savvy pet enthusiast.

The psychologist set up the food and water bowls and threw out a couple of toys onto the floor before opening the door to the cat carrier. Tyger immediately bounded out and looked up at him.

"Ok, Tyger, I got to go back to the car to get the litter," he told him. "Enjoy your new toys while I am gone…and leave my figurines alone, all right?"

The kitten continued to stare at him silently, and Sweets took the stare as a sign of attention and understanding. He went to the car and lugged the huge back of litter back into the building and into the elevator which took him back to his apartment.

When he walked inside, he found Tyger sitting on the floor in front of a small pile. He had gathered up all of his toys….including the same figurine that he had played with before. Sweets grimaced.

'_Maybe if I just put it on a higher shelf….'_

* * *

That evening, Sweets did some additional research online about the best ways to entertain a cat. He discovered techniques to enhance playtime and ways to make the toys more interactive with the cat. He tried a couple of these methods to create a more hunt-like atmosphere for Tyger, but the cat simply ended up staring at him with great interest instead. Eventually Sweets gave up and Tyger took that as his cue to attack the toys with even more gusto.

'_Perhaps__ I need more practice,' _Sweets thought to himself. '_I probably was too forced in my "wounded prey" act….or maybe I should go see Susan again about getting those catnip toys that she suggested.'_

Sweets watched the kitten spring up and pounce on the shiny foam ball that had come from a package of assorted toys. Ever since he was a child, he had wanted a pet of his own, but had never gotten one. Eventually, he had managed to convince himself that it was for the best that he not have pets since he might not be able to take optimal care of them. Seeing Tyger run around and play on the floor reminded Sweets of that errant wish that he had had for so long.

'_Maybe I should get a pet,' _he told himself. '_I mean, I'm doing ok with Tyger. And Susan seemed to think that I learned quickly about how to care for pets. This could be my chance to see just how well I could handle taking care of an animal of my own.'_

The therapist smiled as Tyger tumbled onto his side and clutched the ball in his paws. There had been attempts to take care of an animal in the past, including his short lived adventures with Fitz, the goat from the suspected chupacabra case and with the chinchilla he had found in his apartment. But in both cases, it hadn't worked out for one reason or another.

'_But m__aybe a cat is the kind of pet I need. It wouldn't be the same as a goat or a chinchilla or even dogs, which I am allergic to.'_

Sweets yawned and stretched. He was tired and ready for bed. Confident that Tyger would be able to take care of himself while he slept, Sweets stood up and turned off most of the lights except one small lamp in the front room.

'_I know that cats are supposed to be able to see in the dark…but he is still a kitten. Chances are, he's not that good at it yet…Besides, this place is new to him. He needs a chance to get familiar with it before he has to rely on his ninja cat skills to get around.'_

Sweets was about to walk to his bedroom when he felt the sharp sting of tiny claws on his leg. He looked down to see Tyger attached to his pant leg, having jumped onto his thigh.

"Mew."

"Ok, Tyger," Sweets said as he pried the kitten off his leg. "I guess you can sleep with me if you want…But no scratching the bed, ok?"

* * *

After getting ready for bed, Sweets lied down and turned off the light on his bed stand. He then felt movement on the mattress as Tyger jumped onto the bed to join him and walked around. Soon, the psychologist felt the kitten climb onto his side and curl up to lie down. Sweets was ready to move him when the kitten started to purr as he laid there.

'_He's so happy there…I probably shouldn't move him. He might be feeling anxious about being away from his owner and his normal routines.'_

Sweets sighed and carefully adjusted his position so as to not disturb the kitten that was lying on his side. He wasn't sure if he could fall asleep this way, but soon found himself becoming increasingly drowsy. Tyger's purring had soothed him into a relaxed, contented state. Sweets reached down and gently petted the cat's head a couple of times before settling in to sleep.

"Good night, Tyger," he whispered before closing his eyes and slumbering.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Next chapter. Sorry that I didn't get back to this one right away. I am still thinking that it will be about three or four chapters long...

I do not own Bones or any of its characters. And I still do not own this Blake poem either.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/reviewing this.

**Seletua: **Thank you. And it did seem somewhat wrong to me too that the writers had Sweets claim in The Man in the Mud that he was a dog person when he confessed to Daisy in The Shallow in the Deep that he was allergic to them. I also see him as a cat person actually (even though I am fond of most animals) given his contemplative nature and all. I hope you will enjoy more cuteness with Tyger here in the future. :)

**Rex01: **Thank you. :D I was hoping that you will enjoy this, and I hope you won't be too smug after you read this chapter...:P

**FaithinBones: **Thank you. And I know exactly what you mean about pets. I have two cats of my own and it does cost a bit to keep them since I make sure to give them good food, toys, etc. But I figure it's still relatively cheap over the long run, especially when you consider what you get in return...I hope you enjoy Sweets' continuing fun with Tyger...

**Peanutmeg: **Thanks for the review. I do think that it would be fun for Sweets to have a pet on the show, but since I don't think that will happen any time soon, I suppose that there is always fanfic. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**Fluffybird: **Yeah, I know that I tend to lean a bit much on angst, but I like to throw in a fluffier, light bit once in a while to mix things up. :) I enjoy both myself and I hope you enjoy how this fic unfolds.

**Lives in the now: **Thank you very much. :) I have many fond memories myself of cats having had them since I was a teenager. I agree that pets can be a wonderful addition to someone's life...And it makes sense to me that Sweets would try so hard with someone else's pet, especially when it's a cute little kitten like this. :) Expect more of the same with this update...

**Whirlwind421: **Thanks. Sorry for the delay in continuing this...but I hope you enjoy this latest set of kitty moments as well. :)

The Therapist and the Favor—Chapter Two

-_In what distant deeps or skies/ Burnt the fire of thine eyes…_

As he lay in bed, Sweets' nose could not stop twitching. He was caught up in a dream where a giant feather kept tickling his nose and face. Eventually, he opened his eyes and realized that Tyger was standing on his chest and sniffing his face. Sweets shuddered in surprise.

"Mew," Tyger said insistently. Sweets carefully picked the kitten up and held him in front of him.

'_I must have slept in,' _Sweets thought drowsily. '_And I guess that this is his way of letting me know that it's time for his breakfast.' _

The psychologist yawned and sat up, placing the kitten down onto the bed next to him. Tyger jumped down and ran away toward the kitchen while Sweets stretched. It was then that he noticed something sitting on the end of the bed. It took only a second for him to realize that it was the same action figurine that Tyger had kept trying to play with yesterday.

'_How did he get up onto that shelf where I had it?' _Sweets wondered. '_Can he really jump straight up a wall with no help whatsoever?'_

Sweets sighed and plucked the figure off of his bed sheets. As he stood up, he began to think that perhaps hiding it away from sight might be the best plan.

* * *

After feeding Tyger and making himself a quick breakfast of toast, coffee and scrambled eggs, Sweets sat down at the table and pulled some files out of his briefcase. He had the day off, but he had been thinking about getting some additional work done on a series of reports his supervisor had requested. He looked over his notes and in the background he could hear the soft tinkle of bells and the rustle of fabric as Tyger played with his toys.

"Mew….Mew…"

Sweets smiled as he heard Tyger meow while he played. He had always enjoyed taking some time to himself for reflection and usually preferred quiet during those times. But for some reason, Sweets was not bothered by the noise the kitten was making. The kitten's mews were relaxing rather than disruptive.

Eventually, Sweets tuned out all distractions and focused on the work in front of him. He was so engaged in what he was doing, he didn't notice it when Tyger began to creep up on him, his eyes glittering with playful intensity. The kitten circled around the chair that the psychologist was sitting in, but Sweets still did not acknowledge him.

Suddenly, Sweets heard a loud thump followed by the sound of claws digging into plaster. He looked up to see Tyger clinging to the edge of the wall that acted as a separation from the kitchen and dining area.

"Mew!" Tyger said, his eyes fixed on Sweets. The psychologist jumped out of his chair and reached over to pry the kitten off the wall.

"Ok, ok," Sweets said as he scooped the kitten into his arms. He examined the wall and was relieved to see that there were only a couple of thin scratches where Tyger had attached himself. He then looked down at the bundle of purring fur in his arms and sighed.

"I guess I can work on that stuff later," he said while scratching behind Tyger's ears.

* * *

After another unsuccessful attempt to interest Tyger in playing with him and the interactive toys he had bought for him yesterday, Sweets decided to try something different. Susan had suggested that Tyger was at the right age to learn to walk outside with a leash and harness and that supervised outdoor play could be good for him.

"_Kittens like to explore and a leash and harness could ensure his safety while you take him outside since you do not have an enclosed outdoor area," _she had told him. "_Just take it slow and let him explore at his own pace."_

Sweets had been worried about getting Tyger into the harness, but was relieved to find that it was a relatively simple process that the kitten did not seem to mind. He then took Tyger outside into the garden area of his apartment complex. He sat the kitten down, and Tyger immediately began to sniff the ground and venture around onto the lawn.

While the kitten wandered about, Sweet let his mind drift. He pondered childhood memories of longing for a pet and of watching other children play happily with their own cats and dogs. Throughout almost all of his childhood, Sweets had been convinced that he was different from the other kids he interacted with, and the fact that he didn't have a pet or even dare to ask his parents for one served as another reminder of that.

Sweets gave the leash some slack so that Tyger could check out a clump of grass and rocks close by. He knew and understood his reasons for not having a pet as a child, but having Tyger around made him question why he had been reluctant to get himself a pet after getting a place of his own. He had thought about it a few times over the years since living in DC and working for the Bureau, but would never work up the desire to go through with it.

'_Was I afraid to take on the responsibility? Or didn't I trust myself to take care of another living being?' _he wondered. '_What was holding me back all this time?'_

The psychologist sighed and leaned against a tree. He knew that he was trying to avoid certain issues in his pondering because, in the back of his mind, he knew that his wishes and fears involving family had some bearing on this issue too. Having a pet was part of making a home for oneself and building domestic bonds. Ever since his parents passed away so suddenly and so close together, Sweets dreaded becoming too comfortable and attached to a familial setting, even though his whole heart ached to have such things in his life. Every step toward that all-important goal had been slow and tentative from the way he furnished his apartment, to his relationship with Daisy and even with the way he built his friendships with Booth, Brennan, Cam, Hodgins and Angela. It wasn't really logical, but every time Sweets thought about getting a pet, those feelings of hesitation and fear would always pull at him.

A sudden yank on the leash broke Sweets' reverie and he looked over to see Tyger leaning over to chew on some plants. The therapist immediately panicked. He had done some reading about pet safety and knew that certain plants could be poisonous to cats. He wasn't absolutely sure if the leaves in question were harmful, but the idea of Tyger getting hurt scared him nonetheless.

"Wait, no Tyger," Sweets shouted at him. The kitten whirled his head in Sweets' direction.

"Mew?" he said. Sweets started to bend down to pick him up, but the kitten darted away and the quick movement startled the psychologist into dropping the leash. Tyger then took the opportunity to run up the tree that Sweets had just been leaning against. With what seemed like lightening speed, Tyger climbed up onto a branch out of Sweets' reach. He then sat down and stared at Sweets.

Sweets looked up and sighed again. The leash was still within reach, but Sweets figured that it wouldn't be safe to try to use it to pull Tyger toward him. Making matters worse, it looked as if Tyger could not figure out how to get back down from where he was.

'_What do I do now?' _Sweets asked himself. '_I suppose I could call the fire department. That's what people do, I guess…but I don't want to put them out just because I couldn't keep track of a tiny kitten.'_

Sweets then studied the tree in front of him. It looked sturdy and had solid branches. Plus, Sweets had experience climbing trees, having done it often both as a child at the orphanage and a few times as a pre-teen. He had little trouble doing it…save for a couple of unfortunate accidents he had had as a kid.

Decision made, the psychologist rubbed his hands together and reached up for the highest branch he could comfortably reach and began to climb. He was inches away from Tyger when the kitten looked over and tilted his head at him.

"Hold on, Tyger," Sweets told him. "I'll get you down from here in a minute."

Tyger, however, clearly had plans of his own and began to back away from the therapist's outstretched hand. Sweets worried that the kitten did not trust him, and felt his stomach sink at the idea.

Then in a flurry of movement, Tyger dashed back down the tree onto the ground and sat down on the ground and looked up at Sweets.

"Mew?" Tyger said with the same quizzical look and tilt of the head that he had had earlier before he ran up the tree. Sweets rolled his eyes and began to carefully navigate his own descent when his foot slipped, and he fell to the ground.

All he could think about on the way down was that he was grateful that he wasn't going to fall very far.

* * *

Sweets continued to pick bits of leaves and grass out of his hair as he walked toward his apartment with Tyger curled up on one arm. It had been a hard landing, but fortunately, Sweets suffered nothing worse than a couple bruises and some embarrassment when a couple of tenants from the building offered to help him up. Tyger had tried to help by licking and nipping at his hand as he lay on the ground, but Sweets scowled at him.

Still, by the time he made it up to his floor, Sweets found that he couldn't stay mad at him and was now holding the kitten close to him.

'_I need to be more careful about letting him outside in the future,' _he told himself. '_That or I need to consider trying harder to improve my indoor play techniques. I wonder if that remote control mouse I saw at the pet store could be the answer.'_

Sweets yanked the keys out of his pocket when he saw the apartment superintendent hanging around Barclay's apartment door.

"Hello, Mr. Holman," Sweets said, turning toward him. "Did you need something from Mrs. Barclay? Because she went to the hospital yesterday and she said she wouldn't be back until…."

Sweets stopped when the super looked over at him with a somber expression.

"I suppose no one told you," Holman said. "Ellen Barclay passed away late last night at the hospital. Heart failure the doctors say. Her daughter called me a couple hours ago. She was pretty torn up over it. So, I offered to keep the place for her until she was ready to come for her mother's things."

"Wait, what?" Sweets gasped. "She died? That can't be. I was talking to her yesterday. She asked me to take care of Tyger for her. She said that her visit wasn't anything major. She…she seemed fine."

"Yeah," Holman said, shaking his head. "That's how it goes sometimes, kiddo. One day, everything's fine and it looks like nothing's wrong and then the next it's all over. I had an aunt who died the exact same way. None of us saw it coming."

Tyger pawed at Sweets' sleeve, and the super looked down at the kitten.

"Well, at least someone has been feeding her cat," Holman said. "Looks like his fate is up to you now, kiddo."

Holman shook his head again before walking away and leaving Sweets alone in the hallway. The psychologist fell back against the wall and hung his head.

He thought about all the times he had stopped by to see her and the talks they had shared, but he also thought about all the missed opportunities when he could have gotten to know her better and didn't due to his being too busy or rushed to take advantage of them.

"_Why does it have to be this way?" _he asked himself. "_Why does death have to be so sudden all the time?"_

Sweets swiped at his eyes and stood back upright. This was not the first time he had dealt with someone dying unexpectedly in his life, and he frequently worried that it wouldn't be the last. Still, it never ceased to bring a sharp pain to his heart when it happened, and Sweets knew that he would be feeling this for a while.

He pushed the key into the lock and turned it. As he walked back into his apartment and felt Tyger curl up in his arms again, Holman's words came back to him.

"_He's right. Tyger doesn't have anyone else now. He doesn't have a home to go back to. He needs someone to take care of him'_

'_And it looks like that someone is going to have to be me,'_


End file.
